Improved shutter for port-holes of iron-clad vessels



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

B. H. BARTOL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVED SHUTT'EP FOR PORT-HOLES OF IRON-CLAD VESSELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 38,088, dated April 7, 1863.

To all whom. t may concern.:

Be it known that I, B. H. BARTOL, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Arrangement of Port-Shutters for Iron-Glad Vessels or Batteries; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention consists of two shutters hung independently of each other, to the side of the vessel or battery, on shafts passing through the same, the said shutters being arrangedin respect to each other for operating, substantially as described hereinafter, so that the said shutters may present an effective bar to the entrance of an enemys shot into the port when the gun is withdrawn from the latter, and so that a small portion only of the port need be exposed when the muzzle of the gun is proiected through the port preparatory to the discharge of the load.

In order to enable others to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation.

On reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1, Drawing N o. l, represents a front view of my improved port-shutters for iron clad vessels or batteries, and Fig. 2 is a section of Fig. l. Drawing No. 2 represents my improved portshutters as applied to the United States iron-clad steamer New Ironsides.

On reference to Drawing No. l, A represents a portion of the wooden side of a vessel or battery, B, the iron plating; G, the port, and I) a part of the gun-deck or part of the foundation of the battery, E and E representing the two halves of the shutters, which are of solid malleable iron, and of the form and bearing the position in relation to each other shown in Fig. l.

F F are two taper shafts passing through and turning in the side of the vessel and the iron plating, the square end of each shaft tting freely into a square opening of one of the shutters, and the vinner end of each shaft being furnished with a lever, G, having at its lower end an eye, to which is connected the tackle used for raising and lowering the shutf ter.

The edges of the port are overlapped by the shutters, which present an effective bar to the passage through the port of an enemys shot.

When the muzzle of the gun has to be projected through the port preparatory to the discharge of the load, the shutters are raised to the position indicated by red lines, Fig. 1, the greater portion of the port remaining covered by the shutters; or, when the gun has to be pointed at an angle, one only of the shutters need to be raised, the other remaining as a shotproof cover for one-half of the port. In fact, whatever may be the direction in which the gun is pointed, the greater portion of the port will be eftectually covered.

On withdrawing the muzzle of the gun preparatory to loading, the shutters are allowed to descend to the position shown inFig. 1, which they will at once assume by their own weight when the tackle connected to the lever G is slackened. This tackle may consist of ordinary ropes or chains and pulleys, and may be so arranged in connection with4 snatchblocks that the operators may be at a distance both from the port and gun, and outof the way of the gunners.

Should one of the shutters dui ing an action he so injured by an enemys shot as to become unmanageable and interfere with the proper working and sighting of the gun, the lever G of the wounded shutter is removed from the taper shaft F, and Vthe latter is driven outward through the side of the vessel and through the shutter, which is allowed to drop into the sea clear of the vessel.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The two shutters E and E, hung independently of each other to the side of the vessel or battery on shafts passing through the same, the said shutters being arranged in respect to each other and to the portsubstantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

B. H. BARTOL.

Witnesses:

HENRY HowsoN, J oIIN WHITE. 

